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Astro Star Projector Kit Build

Recently I heard about the Cloud b Twilight Constellation Night Light, which is a stuffed turtle that projects stars from it’s shell. I considered ordering one, but first I searched for a cheaper star projector.

The cheapest one by far is Astrostar Astro Star Laser Projector Cosmos Light Lamp, at just $15. The pictures look amazing. However, the reviews are something else.

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After reading most of the reviews, I began to see the problem. No where in the Amazon description does it say that this is a kit, and the pictures only show it fully assembled. A few good reviews indicated that it is actually a good kit for people who want that sort of thing. 

I turned to eBay and picked up the same kit for around $7 shipped from the US. 

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The box for the kit

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Unassembled parts inside the box

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English instructions

The instructions seemed fairly straightforward. First, I assembled the bulb holder. 

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Bulb holder half assembled

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Bulb holder assembled

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Bulb holder with stickers

I managed to cut my finger on my scissors while cutting the sticker, but otherwise I had no problems. 

Next came the switch and battery assembly. The instructions depict a different type of switch, but this one was easy to install.

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Switch installed

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Top of the switch

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Battery terminals in place

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It works!

There is another plastic bit that goes across the batteries to hold them in place. I didn’t have any problems with this part. 

Next was the starfield ‘dome’ assembly. This part actually required skill, and seemed the easiest to mess up. 

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One piece of the dome

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Removing the protective film

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Adding double-sided tape

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Mostly assembled, missing the top bit

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The inside of the dome

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Dome mostly complete, time to add the bottom

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Bottom in place

The dome was not that hard to assemble. The letters on each side piece match up to each other. Mine isn’t perfectly aligned and has a few holes but it is hardly noticeable. 

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A quick test

It isn’t really necessary to cut the excess tabs from the dome, but it looks better.

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Tabs shortened. 

I took it into the darkest room in my apartment (the bathroom) and used my real camera to take some pictures. 

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ISO 800 picture, what it looks like to my eyes

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ISO 800

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ISO 400

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ISO 1600, much brighter than real life

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It also works in my bedroom at night (ISO 800)

Overall, it’s a pretty good kit. It took me about half an hour to assemble. I bought it for $7 it’s worth that much at least. If you are decent at assembling kits, this is fun to build and the end product is pretty amazing. If you aren’t good at assembling kits, there are many commercial personal star projectors out there for you. 

The biggest flaw is that most of the ‘stars’ are pretty blurry on the walls, so actually picking out constellations or specific stars is hard to impossible. #

Comments: #

Hey paul, i just ordered this and am a little conf… #

Emily -

Hey paul, i just ordered this and am a little confused about the wiring. The first set of wires i attached to the battery pack like instructed, but i’m not sure where to put the wires attached to the light out of the bottom of the bulb holder. Please help!


#### Hi Emily. The wiring for the bulb and the battery ... [Paul Schow](https://www.blogger.com/profile/02139879554145337777 "noreply@blogger.com") -

Hi Emily. The wiring for the bulb and the battery pack both go to the switch. Red goes on one side, and black goes on the other.


#### I have a question as well,what bulb did you use? L... [JDeCandia](https://www.blogger.com/profile/09404027166430416174 "noreply@blogger.com") -

I have a question as well,what bulb did you use? Looking at the reviews, it seems it comes out a bit dark. Did you find a way to remedy this?


#### I just used the bulb that came with it. It still i... [Paul Schow](https://www.blogger.com/profile/02139879554145337777 "noreply@blogger.com") -

I just used the bulb that came with it. It still is a bit dark, but putting it in a dark room and letting your eyes adjust makes it pretty nice.


#### I truly appreciate it! Thank you! [Unknown](https://www.blogger.com/profile/00246724426856363443 "noreply@blogger.com") -

I truly appreciate it! Thank you!


#### You have put the tabs the wrong way. My one fits i... [Unknown](https://www.blogger.com/profile/06595246344906594354 "noreply@blogger.com") -

You have put the tabs the wrong way. My one fits internally and it is much much easier